Gattuso Takes Responsibility After Lazio's Cup Exit to Mantova

Gennaro Gattuso, Lazio's coach, admitted that the 2-0 defeat against Mantova and elimination from the Coppa Italia Round of 32 represents a "harsh blow," asserting that he takes full responsibility for the exit. Gattuso said after the match: "It's a harsh blow. I take responsibility and put my face on the line because that's the right thing to do, but now we need to be silent and work. I take responsibility." He added: "We need to apologize; this is a painful time, but we must be strong. There are many aspects we need to improve. In the first half, we weren't aggressive enough and left them with too much space." Regarding the transfer market, Gattuso refused to blame the exit on the absence of new players, stating: "It's easy to say we miss this player or that one, but today we are not talking about the market, but about the players who played the match. Now we need to take responsibility, and then we will see what happens in the coming days." The Lazio coach concluded: "We have been working for 40 days, and there is a strong desire and readiness from the players, but tonight is bitter, and we need to work calmly and stay united, hoping we can change this situation."